Pill size?

[KJIA]

Hello,

My kitty is currently needing clindamycin antibiotic following a tooth extraction. The vet originally prescribed a liquid version, but I'm sure it doesn't taste pleasant and we've been ending up with more medicine on mommy than actually in kitty's mouth. I've had much better luck in the past administering pills, so I was able to get the pill version from my vet today. The only concern is that the capsules are a bit larger than I expected. Not terribly large, but just a bit surprised.

How big of a pill can a cat safely swallow? Has anyone had any experience with clindamycin capsules? They are clear capsules with a powder inside. I'm not sure if I should give the whole capsule like I normally would (followed by food and water), or is it better to open the capsule and mix the powder into food?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Can the capsules be opened and placed in foods? If so, or if not revert back to the liquid, and try any one of these 'tricks' to get her to take the meds.
1.) 'juice' from canned tuna and chicken, and then give her a piece of the meat as a treat afterward
2.) baby food meats (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut)
3.) lickable treats, such as Applaws, Wholehearted, Tiki Cat Stix, Inaba Churu, Vitakraft - just to name a few
4.) Tiki Cat Mousse (which is complete meal, not a treat)
Use just enough of any one of them to mix with the meds so you know for sure she eats it all. These have worked well when giving Feeby meds, and I have crushed up pills, or used powders, and even used liquid meds with equal success. It is a lot less stressful for both your girl and you.

 

[LTS3]

Ask the vet if you can open the capsule and mix the contents into a small amount of canned food. Some medicines can but others are irritating to soft tissues like the esophagus and need to stay in the protective capsule to make it safely into the stomach where the strong stomach acids can dissolve everything.